Review by Booklist Review
A baker's dilemma: where, oh where, did Thomas the gopher put the dried fruit for his special Winter's Eve cake? His friend Lucy, a bright yellow bird, offers to help him search. As she flaps and then hops through a blizzard, she sees a sleek animal with some suspicious dried fruits. But wait! He returns the basket he found in the meadow not a thief after all. In gratitude, Lucy and Thomas decide to make the stranger a special wintercake for his very own. Snowflakes in delightful variety dot the last double-page spread as the deep blues of winter contrast with the warm brown cave where the three new friends nibble the golden cake filled with jewel-toned fruit. Watercolor, gouache, and ink in panels, full-page spreads, and cameos show many details, sound bubbles, and humor to advance the story line, while descriptive language treats listeners to some intriguing words, such as stout but nimble, forlorn and bereft, and sturdy and resilient. Children will take in the message to beware of jumping to conclusions.--Lolly Gepson Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Brimming with whimsy, this tale by Newbery Medalist Perkins (Criss Cross) introduces two pals who find a new friend when they set out to right a wrong. When chirpy bird Lucy visits bear-like Thomas, the earnest fellow is distressed ("bereft... forlorn") that he has lost the basket of dried fruit he intended to use to bake a traditional confection ("A Winter's Eve without wintercake. I ask you, what kind of holiday is that?"). Flying home in a blizzard, Lucy takes refuge in a bustling tearoom, where chatty animals comment on the inclement weather in diverting snippets of conversation--and she overhears one "tall, sleek" customer remark that he has found a basket of dried fruit, "perfect for wintercake." Outraged, Lucy follows the "vile beast," only to discover that he is returning the fruit to Thomas, who, relieved, suggests that he and the bird bake a wintercake, launching a heartwarming annual tradition. Perkins's charmingly detailed, fanciful art and spontaneous narrative deliver an irrefutable message about the dangers of making snap judgments and the value of making amends--and friends. Ages 6--10. (Oct.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3--A lost basket of dried-up fruit kicks off an engaging picture book adventure. When a small mammal named Thomas misplaces the ingredients he had gathered to bake a cake for Winter's Eve, his bird friend Lucy spots a "tall, sleek animal" with the basket in his hands. Though she assumes he is a "good-for-nothing fruit thief," the creature she thought was a "scoundrel" kindly returns the fruit to Thomas, then departs. The two friends realize that the stranger must be "a noble chap" and decide to bring a wintercake to him. Their trek takes them through some challenging winter obstacles, but they finally find the animal's home and share the holiday and the wintercake with their new friend. The extended 48-page length allows time for the story to develop gently but purposefully. Narration, dialogue, and illustrations work perfectly together to establish characters, themes, and plot. Carefully varied layouts range from panels and circular frames to spreads, conveying both the hardships of winter as well as the cozy hominess of food, companionship, and home. Rich language shifts smoothly between evocative description and engaging dialogue, moving the story forward at just the right pace. The sense of friendship and sharing provides a warm, satisfying conclusion and also reinforces the dangers of assuming the worst about someone you don't know. VERDICT A first-rate example of a longer picture book for elementary-age readers and listeners.--Steven Engelfried, Wilsonville Public Library, OR
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Review by Horn Book Review
Forest creature Thomas has misplaced his dried fruits near his cozy tree home and is despondent; without them, he wont be able to make a wintercake for the Winters Eve holiday. When his friend Lucy, a yellow bird, overhears a stranger say that he found them, she doesnt hear him add (in the noisy caf where she dines) that he doesnt plan to keep the fruits. She follows the vile beast, only to witness him returning them to Thomas. Agreeing that hes a noble chap, Thomas and Lucy bake the now-departed creature a wintercake and follow his tracks in the snow to find him. Their journey in the dark is perilous, but they locate him, alone and sad. The three dine in a hollow with only a small fire to keep them warm, and a friendship is forged. A lengthy text marks this warm-hearted winter story, spun with such delicious words as bereft, scrumptious, and resilient. The descriptive language (the icing on their cake is like snow on a lumpy hillside) and dry humor also shine. The crowded caf scene is especially funny, as everyone, via speech-balloon dialogue, discusses only the weather (I have never seen so much weather, says a mouse). Perkinss earth-toned illustrations are rich in detail, patterns, and textures. What more do we need? asks Thomas as he sits with an old friend, a new one, and lots of warmth and light on a cold winter night. julie Danielson September/October 2019 p.68(c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A snowstorm, a missing basket of fruit, a misunderstanding, and an act of kindness lead to a warm winter tradition.Thomas, a light-brown furry creature (maybe a groundhog), tells his yellow-feathered friend Lucy that he must have misplaced the basket that contained the fruit he'd intended to bake into his winter cake. "How mysterious," Lucy says when Thomas tells her about the basket. But Lucy must hurry to get home, as the snow has begun to fall thickly, and she flies off into the wind. She collides with a tree branch and is momentarily stunned, then takes shelter in a cozy tea room to recover. There, everyone is talking about the weather except for one dark brown-furred fellow (perhaps a pine marten) who mentions that he's found a basket of fruit. Lucy leaps to conclusions and trails him as he departs, all the way to Thomas' door, where he reunites Thomas and basket. Lucy is embarrassed by her suspicious thoughts. The simple story of her realization and her attempt to make amends is told in deliciously rich language so porous it opens up glorious possibilities for the illustrations: "there were obstacles." Perkins' art, with its warm yellows, opulent blues, and soft browns of wintry forest and cozy dens, nicely complements the fine narrative arc. This could simply be a splendid holiday tale: There is cake, after all, and there are both connection and community. But the different colorings of the animals' coats combine with light-feathered Lucy's false, if unspoken, accusation of innocent, dark-brown Tobin to offer an allegorical storyline for readers who care to pursue it.Cozyand potentially provocative. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
